About this Event

How can we control our destiny, heading into another election cycle rife with manipulation via social media distortions? What can we learn from the media-enabled misrepresentations of Brexit "facts" that have upended British politics?

Join us for a discussion on "What can we do?" to preserve our democracy, led by a panel of media experts wrestling with these very questions.

This event is open to all alumni as well as their friends. All are welcome to join us for this thought-provoking evening. Food and drinks will be served.

PANELISTS:

George Brock analyzes the media for organizations like the BBC and blogs on 21st Century Journalism (http://georgebrock.net). He was Professor of Journalism at City, University of London, from 2009-17. For many years a key journalist at The Observer and managing editor of The Times, he was President of the World Editors Forum from 2004-08, and Chair of the International Press Institute’s British Section for several years.

Quentin Hardy is currently Director of Editorial at Google Cloud, and formerly New York Times Deputy Tech Editor from 2011 - 2017. He has also worked for the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. His credo: 'I truly believe that.… the nexus of sensors/mobile computing, large cloud systems and AI will remake the world on the scale of electricity, automotive power, etc.'

Richard Gingras is Vice President, News at Google, where he guides the company's strategy in how it surfaces news on Google search, Google News, and its smart devices. He also oversees Google’s effort to enable a healthy, open ecosystem for quality journalism. In March 2018, Gingras announced the Google News Initiative, a global effort including $300 million dollars to elevate quality journalism, explore new models for sustainability, and provide technology to stimulate cost-efficiency in newsrooms. Richard has been involved in digital media since 1980 and helped found ​Salon.com

MODERATOR:

Rachael Myrow is KQED's acting Silicon Valley Bureau Chief. You can hear her work on NPR, Here & Now and the KQED podcast Bay Curious. She also periodically guest hosts for KQED's Forum and The California Report, which she hosted for seven years. Prior to joining KQED, Rachael worked in Los Angeles at KPCC and Marketplace. She holds degrees in English and journalism from UC Berkeley (where she got her start at public radio at KALX-FM). Outside of the studio, you'll find Rachael circling the Stanford Dish, whipping up Instagram-ready meals in her kitchen, and doggedly trying to keep pace with The New Yorker magazines piling up by her couch. Follow her @rachaelmyrow.